Tergat and Radcliffe have plenty to prove

Two world record holders who found fulfilment on the road after years of frustration on the track have plenty to prove in tomorrow's London marathon after disappointing displays at last year's Olympics.

Kenya's Paul Tergat, the fastest man ever over the marathon with two hours four minutes 55 seconds in the 2003 Berlin race, faded to 10th in Athens after starting as favourite.

Briton Paula Radcliffe, an even hotter favourite for the women's Olympic title after her world record of 2:15:25 in the 2003 London event, dropped out after 36 kms.

Both have since demonstrated that they deserve to start tomorrow's 25th anniversary race as favourites.

Tergat clocked 59.10 in last month's Lisbon half-marathon, second only to the 59.06 he recorded over the same course five years ago.

Radcliffe showed her competitive steel after her Athens traumas by winning the New York marathon last November.

The men's race has been devalued slightly by the absence of Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie, who beat Tergat to the line over 10,000 metres in two Olympic Games and two world championships.

Gebrselassie will act as one of the celebrity starters instead but even without him the men's field contains plenty of quality runners, including Italy's Olympic gold medallist Stefano Baldini and Kenya's defending champion Evans Rutto.

Tergat, 35, is clearly in shape to come close to his world record if conditions are favourable on a modified course which organisers believe is now some 45 seconds faster.

Rain is forecast for tomorrow with a maximum temperature of 13°C and light winds.

Radcliffe is under much greater pressure than Tergat after her failures in the Olympics. The 31-year-old also dropped out of the 10,000m final in Athens and she has still to win any sort of medal at an Olympic Games or World Championships.

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